BIMSTEC: As India Leads The Way, The Unique Group for Cooperation Emerges Stronger
BIMSTEC is a grouping of seven member states lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. It is a unique link connecting South Asia with Southeast Asia
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) brings together 1.7 billion people – 22% of the world population with a combined GDP of US$ 5 trillion. Indeed, a huge resource that is making the world turn around and watch it getting stronger.
BIMSTEC is a grouping of seven member states lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. It is a unique link connecting South Asia with Southeast Asia – five members from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) and two from Southeast Asia (Myanmar and Thailand).
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The sixth summit is scheduled to be held in Thailand on April 3-4. As PM Narendra Modi rightly puts it, India is everywhere its interests are involved. With India being a strong advocate of this regional cooperation, PM Modi will be attending this summit with a loud and clear message on issues such as security, crime and terror, food security, and climate change.
BIMSTEC TRANSITION AS REGIONAL ORGANISATION AT 2022 SUMMIT IN COLOMBO
The fifth BIMSTEC Summit was held on March 30, 2022 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with the leaders participating virtually. At the summit, the leaders had adopted the BIMSTEC Charter, a milestone in the transition of BIMSTEC from a grouping into a regional organisation. The Charter came into effect on May 20, 2024. They also issued a Joint Declaration and witnessed the signing of three documents, namely, the BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters; MoU on Mutual Cooperation between Diplomatic Academies/Training Institutions of BIMSTEC member states; and Memorandum of Association on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Colombo. At the summit, the leaders also endorsed the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity.
At the fifth summit, the leaders endorsed the reorganisation of priority pillars of cooperation into seven priority areas/pillars, with each priority area led by one Member country. India is the Lead Country for the Security pillar, under which there are three sub-sectors – Counterterrorism and Transnational Crime, Disaster Management, and Energy Security. The remaining priority areas/pillars and their Lead Countries are – Trade, Investment and Development (Bangladesh); Environment and Climate Change (Bhutan); People-to-People Contacts (Nepal); Agriculture and Food Security (Myanmar); Science, Technology, and Innovation (Sri Lanka); and Connectivity (Thailand).
BIMSTEC FORMED IN 1997 THROUGH BANGKOK DECLARATION
The organisation came into existence on June 6,1997 through the ‘Bangkok Declaration’. It was originally formed with four member states with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Following the inclusion of Myanmar in December 1997, it was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). With the inclusion of Nepal and Bhutan in 2004, the name of the grouping was changed to BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC organises inter-governmental interactions through Summits, Ministerial Meetings, Senior Officials Meetings, Permanent Working Committee, Joint Working Groups, and Experts’ level Meetings. Five BIMSTEC Summits have been held so far – 2004 (Bangkok), 2008 (New Delhi), 2014 (Nay Pyi Taw), 2018 (Kathmandu), and 2022 (Colombo). India hosted the BIMSTEC Outreach Summit and Leaders’ Retreat in Goa in October 2016.
There have been 19 BIMSTEC Foreign Ministerial meetings, with the last meeting held on March 9, 2023, in Bangkok in virtual mode. There have been two BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreats, the last one took place in July 2024 in New Delhi. There was an Informal Meeting of BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the 79th Session of UNGA on September 27, 2024, New York. There have been 24 Senior Officials Meetings, with the last one held on December 19, 2024, in Bangkok in virtual mode. Eight regular meetings of the BIMSTEC Permanent Working Committee have been held so far – the latest one was held on February 25, 2025 in Bangkok in virtual mode. Thailand is the current Chair of BIMSTEC. A Permanent Secretariat of the organisation was set up in Dhaka in 2014. Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey is the current and 4th BIMSTEC Secretary General, since January 4, 2024. BIMSTEC National Security chiefs discuss security cooperation. Four rounds of these meetings have taken place till now. The last meeting took place in Nay Pyi Taw in July 2024.
INDIA’S ROLE IN STRENGTHENING BIMSTEC
India hosts the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate (BCWC) at Noida to provide weather data for the region, as per a Memorandum of Association signed at the third Summit in March 2014. A BIMSTEC Energy Centre has been established in Bengaluru, India, for enhanced cooperation in energy security within the BIMSTEC region. At the fifth Summit, in line with India’s commitment towards strengthening BIMSTEC, PM Modi announced the following initiatives:
(i) A one-time grant of USD 1 million to the operational budget of the Secretariat to complete institution-building tasks – implemented;
(ii) A capacity-building programme by ICRIER in collaboration with ADB on Trade Facilitation – the first such programme was held from 8-19 May 2023, and the second programme will be held from March 18-29 2025.
(iii) Expansion of the scope of the existing BIMSTEC Nalanda Scholarship Scheme – coverage of students under the scheme has since been enhanced;
(iv) Establishment of a networking scheme among institutes of Marine Sciences in the BIMSTEC region – BIMSTEC-India Marine Research Network (BIMReN) was launched in February 2024.
(v) Commissioned a Study by RIS on creating regional value chains and value-added agricultural products in the BIMSTEC region – under implementation.
Recent initiatives by India also enhance its role as a mentor to these countries, strengthening people-to-people contact. India hosted the BIMSTEC Aquatics Championship in New Delhi in February 2024, with 400-plus athletes from all BIMSTEC countries participating in Swimming, Water-polo, and Diving events. India organised the BIMSTEC Youth Summit in Ahmedabad in February 2025 with more than 70 youth delegates from BIMSTEC countries to foster regional cooperation. The summit focused on challenges and opportunities in entrepreneurship, digital connectivity, cyberspace, and sustainable development.
A special ‘BIMSTEC’ Pavilion was established at the 38th Suraj Kund International Crafts Fair in February 2025, hosting 33 craft artists and 68 cultural performers from BIMSTEC member states. The BIMSTEC Youth Led Conference on Climate Change was hosted by MEA and Bharat Scouts and Guides from 20-24 February 2025 in New Delhi.
More than 150 participants from seven BIMSTEC countries participated in the event, which included sessions on SDGs, climate change mitigation, and cultural performances.
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